This week, the question is: “What does it mean to be ‘data-oriented’?” We merge together different aspects of Clojure’s data orientation, and specify which of those help make development more pleasant.

Selected quotes:

“Clojure has the corner on data.”

“Other languages have data too, it’s just locked in little cages.”

“Data is inert, it can’t harm you.”

“Because Clojure is expressed in its own data structures, and those structures are simple, that makes Clojure syntax simple.”

“Find a good way to represent the information that you want to work with, in a way that feels appropriate for the subject matter.”

“If you find a good way of representing your information, that representation tends to be pretty stable. All of the change is in the functions you use to work with it.”